The Ballard women's track and field team delivered a strong all-around performance Thursday at the Van Meter Invitational, finishing second in the team standings with 111 points. Host Van Meter claimed the team title with 118 points, while Creston (83), Mount Ayr (80), and Woodward-Granger (77) rounded out the top five in a competitive field.

The Bombers were balanced across sprints, distance, relays, and field events, collecting key points in multiple events to stay within striking distance of the championship throughout the meet.

One of Ballard's standout performances came in the distance races, where junior Avilee Miller won the 1500-meter run in dominant fashion, clocking 4:59.30 to earn 10 points. Miller also contributed in the 4x800 relay, helping Ballard to a fifth-place finish in 10:20.58.

Kaitlin Dunn and Alea Kinzenbaw were consistent scorers in the 400-meter dash, placing fourth and sixth respectively. Dunn added a strong 5th-place finish in the 4x400 relay, where Ballard ran 4:10.17 to secure another top finish and key team points.

In the hurdles, Makiya Culbertson continued her strong season with a runner-up finish in the 100-meter hurdles, crossing in 15.50, while Brooklyn Shoen added a sixth-place finish in the 400 hurdles to help bolster the team total.

Ballard also picked up valuable sprint points from Emefa VanLoo, who finished fourth in the 100-meter dash (13.14) and contributed in multiple relay efforts, including the 4x200 and 4x100 groups that helped the Bombers stay competitive in team scoring.

The Bombers' relay teams once again proved to be a strength, highlighted by a runner-up finish in the 4x200 relay (1:52.73) and a championship-caliber effort in the 4x800 group, which placed fourth overall. Their consistency across relay events kept Ballard firmly in the team title hunt late into the meet.

Field events also contributed key points, including strong scoring efforts in the shot put and discus from Esther Wilson, Kelsey Horner, and Haley Hollingsworth, helping round out Ballard's total.

Ballard will look to carry that momentum into its next competition on Wednesday, May 6 at the RRC Meet hosted by North Polk, scheduled to begin at 4:00 PM.

Photo Credit: Davidson Photography